The Portland daily press., 1887-06-25

the pupils. Prof. Seidler, who had known
and respected the deceased, and was friend
| of Oedern, then volunteered to sit up the
night with the latter. Seidler was man of
some note, who was chosen tutor of the
Dukes Charles Augustus and Frederick Fer
| dinand of Saxe-Weimar. He died as con-
sistorial councillor at Weimar, about 1878.
| About o'clock in the morning Oedern
woke suddenly, and saw his unbidden guest
standing, not as before, by the cupboard, but
against the whitewashed wall He did not
remain long stationary, but walked up and
down the ro0m-if that can be called walk
ing when his legs did not apparently move,
nor was there any sound of football. Pres
emily he drew near the bed, when Oedern
cried out, "Voyez! voyez?" Seidler, who
awake, looked intently in the direction indi-
| Gated, but though he saw something vaporous
and white, could distinguish nothing clearly.
| The Oedern exclaimed: HE is vanishedp'
The friends then talked together about
what had happened, and 0edern asked Seid-
Ter if he might refer to him as an eye wit
ness but this Soldier would not allow. He
had seen nothing sufficient to justify his be-
ing quoted as having beheld the ghost. Then
Oedern said no more, but laid himself down
again and Seidler did not talk, because he
supposed his friend wanted to 60 to sleep
again. Indeed, he did doze off, but almost
Immediately was reused, started up in bed,
began to beat about him with his fists, and
cried:
go away! You have tormented me long
enough! If you want anything of me, tell
me so at once, and leave me at rest"
When Oedern was somewhat paciied,
Soldier rsked him to explain his conduct. The
professor of mathematics replied that he had
seen the spectre again, which had approached
the bed, leaned over it, and then thrown it
self across his body, so that he felt the
weight Cypress him. From this night for
ward Oedern always had some one in his
room with him. He was afraid to sleep
alone. Moreover, he now had light always
burning, which he had not been accustomed
to have before.
This so far answered that he saw the ghost
no more; nevertheless, every morning about
the same early hour at which it had been
wont to appear to him, he was conscious of a
| peculiar sensation over his whole body, ex-
| actly as If a feather brush were passed over
him. He felt no pain, but tickling sensa-
| ton. Also, occasionally he heard creaking
and brushing against the cupboard doors, or
tapping at his door, but these manifesto
tons became less frequent, and at last ceased
so completely that the professor thought he
was entirely freed from his troublesome and
uncanny visitor, and that he could dispense
with an attendant and night light.
Two nights had passed without disturbance
after he had given up these precautions,
when ON the third night he saw the spectre
again, which reused him at the usual hour
1t was not so distinct as before; it held in
its hand something like picture with hole
in it, and thrust its hand several times
through this hole. Oedern plucked up cour-
age to address it, and said that he was una
BILE to comprehend its meaning.
Again some of the masters of the Carroll
mum sat up through the night with 0edern,
and the spirit again appeared two or three
times, but never so as to be more distinctly
seen. Unfortunately, we are not informed
whether they saw it, or whether the vision
was confined to Oedern. After some discus
sion among the masters and professors, and
inquiries made of his sister and others, it was
ascertained that shortly before his death
Dorien had had several magic lantern slides
sent him on approval from an optician, and
that these had neither been paid for nor re-
turned.
The slides were sought out, and sent back
to the maker. After this Professor Oedern
was no more troubled.
Prof Oedern told his story, and, indeed, it
was well thrashed out by the learned of
Brunswick. 1t was talked of in the court,
and 0edorn was questioned by the duke
about it. His account was taken down by
the Provost Jerusalem, by Prof. Gebauer, of
the university of Gottingen, and by Prof.
Segner. 1t was published, discussed, and
was disputed by Prof. Hennings Of Jena,
who asserted that the ghost was no other
than one of the scholars of the college in
disguise. He pointed out the suspicious fact
of the supposed ghost holding his night cap
about his face so as to conceal a considera-
BILE part of it. and keeping his hand in such
position as to retain sham beard from
falling off, when he first appeared to Hofer,
and afterwards to Oedern and Hofer. Then
again, the pretended ghost seemed to have
suspicious attachment for the cupboard. and
the professor of mathematics had admitted
that he heard the cupboard creak and stir
when the ghost went back to it, also, he al
lowed that he had on one occasion seen it
come out of it.
1t is possible enough that the first starting
of the ghost was due to a practicable joke;
but clearly afterwards the mathematical pro-
lessor labored under indigestion and night
mare, and the nightmare took the form of
the spectre he supposed he had seen, and
which oppressed his mind. His sudden
starts from sleep. the time at which he was
reused, his beating about him with his arms,
his notion that heavy body lay across the
bed on his body. all clearly indicate night
mare, Oedern was himself so worthy and
upright man. so lacking in imagination,
that no one supposed he was fabricating a
story to brighten his fellows. Moreover. it
was to the interest of the masters not to al
low the college to fall under suspicion of be-
ing haunted-a suspicion which might affect
its prosperity and their incomes 1t was so
clearly against his own good that 0ederH adj
mitted the story, that all who heard him be-
lieved in his veracity, though they might
doubt whether he had been visited by a
ghost.
1t is remarkable how very few ghost sto-
ries will bear to be closely examined, and
how often, in well authenticated stories, lust
those special particulars are not detailed
which ought to be told, so as to enable us to
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